


Steel Bars and Stone Walls

by AConcordo



Series: Life in Purgatory [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 10:19:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11159856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AConcordo/pseuds/AConcordo
Summary: “You want us to sign in blood?” She asked judgingly, jaw tightening as she tried to ignore the pain from the new wound.‘What in fresh hell is this?’In which we learn what the characters were really experiencing at the end of the first episode in season two.





	1. Wynonna Earp

**Author's Note:**

  * For [residentgeekmonkey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/residentgeekmonkey/gifts).



> Gifting this to the lovely residentgeekmonkey. Thanks for all the ongoing Wynonna Earp gifs you posted, which encouraged me to click yes when Netflix recommended this show to me (98%!)

 

_ ‘No.’ _

 

The blood splattered as Eliza dropped to the ground, and Wynonna froze while she attempted to process the reality of what just happened.  She had been jealous, annoyed, and frankly, a bit turned on by the Black Badge agent, but now?  She wasn’t sure how to feel.  

 

_ ‘Shit. Shit. Shit.’ _

 

“I can’t kill the heir, but the rest of you are expandable.”

 

Wynonna didn’t know who this guy was, but she hated him already.  Her grip on peacemaker tightened.  There would be hell to pay if they tried to hurt Waverly or Doc.

 

“Agent Lucado, the contracts.”

 

The annoying trigger happy woman made her way to the briefcase on the table and opened it.  She pulled out a single sheet of paper and turned it facing towards the group. 

 

“Hey,” the man said as he waved the gun towards the contract, prompting them to sign. 

 

_ ‘Son of a bitch, you point that gun at us one more time…’ _

 

Wynonna resisted the urge to stay planted in front of Doc and Waverly.  She stepped forward towards the contract, following the gun as she did.  Lucado held out a lancing device and Wynonna shook her head briefly before pricking her thumb.

 

“You want us to sign in blood?” She asked judgingly, jaw tightening as she tried to ignore the pain from the new wound.  

 

_ ‘What in the fresh hell is this?’ _

 

Wynonna pressed her thumb down onto the contract, wondering for a split second whether she should have looked through it more carefully, but stepped back almost immediately as the gun waving occurred once more.

 

_ ‘One more time and I swear…’ _

 

Waverly stepped up next. “Who are you people? Really?” 

 

Unlike Wynonna, Waverly gasped from the sudden pain. 

 

“Does it matter?” 

 

_ ‘No, no, no. Not Waverly. Don’t you even think about it.’  _

 

Glancing at the gun, Wynonna quickly reassessed the situation.  

 

“Don’t talk to him anymore.”  She advised Waverly before the two Earp sisters move back towards Doc and the new guy -- what was his name again?  Oh yeah, Jeremy.  He stepped forward and signed the contract next.

 

“Oh, cheer up Wynonna,” the man in charge said, “I’ll sweeten the plot for you.  You play ball, I’ll help you break the Earp curse.”

 

Doc moved forward to stamp his thumb next.  

 

“Bobo Del Rey has been dispatched, and his revenants are all scattered.  You will never find them and kill them all, not in your lifetime.”  

 

The anger within swelled, but Wynonna remained silent, glaring at the man who seemed to love hearing the sound of his own voice.  Doc had finished signing and was now back in the fold once more.

 

_ ‘He can kill us anytime.  He can nuke our town.  Stay calm, Wynonna.  Stay calm.’ _

 

“I’m being generous,” the grip on peacemaker tightened further, “you deal with a dozen or so demonic horrors that got into the triangle when your sister opened the border and we help you find a way out.”

 

_ ‘Go to hell.’ _

 

“Lift your family’s burden for good.”

 

Wynonna felt something in her stomach, but she didn’t have the words to describe the feeling.

 

“Now get them out of my house,” the man in charge instructed, before the agents circled the group.  

  
One of them reached for Doc, and he shoved them off before the man spoke again.

 

“Ah, one more thing.”

 

_ ‘No!’ _ Wynonna thought, fear spreading through her as she mentally prepared herself to witness another murder. 

 

“Is there anyone else who knows about this mission?  About Black Badge’s assignment in Purgatory?”

 

Wynonna blinked, her brain not catching up fast enough to fully process the question.

 

“Of course not,” Waverly answered swiftly, “I - I swear on my mother’s grave.” 

 

_ ‘Damn it.  Haught and Nedley.  Were they next?’ _

 

Wynonna glanced over at Waverly for a brief moment before deciding to go along with Waverly’s plan.

 

“Seriously, how stupid do you think we are?” 

 

The man in charge didn’t respond, turning away and leaving the other agents to deal with Wynonna, Waverly, Doc, and Jeremy.

 

She felt numb.  She hadn’t slept in well over 36 hours now.  Her body moved on it’s accord as Wynonna fell deep into her thoughts.  It wasn’t until they had reached the garage, did she feel capable of speaking once more.

 

“He just shot her.” 

 

Disbelief.  Shock.  Anger.  More disbelief.

 

“I - I - I hope Nicole got out,” Waverly said, looking around for the police cruiser she had arrived in.

 

“The car’s gone.” 

 

_ ‘At least one of us is safe.’ _

 

“Good.” 

 

Wynonna could hear the sound of relief in her sister’s voice, but before she could say anything else, Doc chimed in.

 

“Good? How the hell are we gonna get home?” 

 

The question went unanswered.

 

“Doc?” Wynonna paused, trying to find her words.  “Did Dolls… say… did he tell you… to tell me anything?” 

 

“Nothing.” Doc answered.

 

Wynonna’s heart sunk.

 

“I’m sorry you had to re-up, I know how much you hate being one of the good guys.” 

 

Doc turned his attention towards Waverly and shook his head, “I highly doubt those were the good guys.”  His eyebrows furrowed, “finally got some dynamite and didn’t even get to use it.” 

 

His comment about the Black Badge weighted heavily on Wynonna’s mind as the three continued to walk.  Hours passed before they made it back to the homestead.  Although Dolls rarely visited, it felt weird for Wynonna to think of how life would be like without him there.

 

“So uh,” she paused before the front door, “I’m not great at thank-yous.” She continued to stare at the door with her back towards Doc.  It felt like her head was foggy.

 

“Oh, you’re still pretty great though,” Doc’s words startled her out of her thoughts.  Wynonna turned to meet the gunsman. 

 

“I’m not sure he deserved it.”  

 

Her heart ached.  

 

_ ‘Why did it have to be like this?  First Willa, now Dolls?’  _  She didn’t even want to think about Eliza.  So many deaths within so little time.

 

“Oh, so we rarely get what we deserve,” Doc dwaled, glancing downwards and away from Wynonna’s gaze. 

 

The heartache grew, and Wynonna willed herself to not go down that path of despair.

 

“Uh,” she paused, looking up at Doc, “you can come in, I’m gonna go take a shower.” She threw him one of  _ those _ looks, inviting him to join her.

 

“Well then,” Doc glanced away, “I’ll leave you to it.”  

 

He looked back up, and Wynonna raised her eyebrows as she watched him turn and walk away.

 

She blinked her eyes rapidly, ignoring the sting of the tears that had begun to form.  She had to get inside before she broke down.  Waverly could still see her.  She couldn’t let her sister worry.

 

Wynonna’s mind shut down.  She found herself moving through the motions.  The hot water that fell upon her in the shower was a warm welcome after the last two days she had had, but the Earp heir found herself unable to unclench and relax.

 

She eventually made her way into Willa’s room.  She picked up the tie-dyed bunny and begun to blink her eyes rapid.  The tears that she had bottled within could no longer be hidden.  Taking several shallow breaths, Wynonna began to cry.  Grasping the stuffed animal closer to her, she hugged it tight, pretending that it was Willa she was holding.  Pretending that her older sister was still here.  Pretending that she hadn’t killed yet another family member.  

 

It hurt.  What had happened brought her back to her childhood, to the tragic moment where she accidentally shot her father.  She still couldn’t understand why there were bullets in there if the gun only worked for the heir, but the thought was placed on hold as a bright light suddenly fell upon her.

 

Wynonna blinked through her tears and stared out the window.  Out in the distance, by the trees, stood a character in black.  

 

_ ‘Could it be…?  Am I hallucinating?’ _

 

She blinked and took a few more shallow breaths before she got up to see who the mysterious stranger was.  Her body ached with each step she took.  The lack of sleep was finally catching up to her, but she had to make sure she hadn’t been seeing things.

 

Her necklace hung from a tree branch, and for a split moment, she almost raised her hand to her neck to check and make sure it was truly hers.  Wynonna hadn’t even noticed that she had lost it.  Pulling the necklace off the branch, she looked around for the person in black.

 

Her heart leaped.

 

_ ‘Dolls.’ _

 

Wynonna’s former boss stood atop the hill, smiling briefly at her before his face turned somber.  

 

_ ‘Is this good-bye?’ _

 

She gave him a nod, wishing that everything she had wanted to share with him could be relayed with that simple action. 

 

Dolls’ smile returned. He nodded back before he turned to walk away.

 

Wynonna held her necklace tight in the palm of her hand.  She felt every groove cut into her skin.  It hurt, but it was also a sign that she was human.

 

She knew she would get through this.

 

After all, she was the freaking Earp heir.


	2. Nicole Haught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Seriously, how stupid do you think we are?”
> 
> Wynonna.
> 
> The confusion, rejection, and hurt all hit her hard. Nicole suddenly couldn't breathe. She dropped the receiver and reached for her keys.
> 
> ‘I guess I was wrong. I’m not needed.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Nicole. Was it just me, or did anybody else want to give Officer Haught a giant hug at the end of this episode? 
> 
> I'm procrastinating from studying. This seemed like productive procrastination. Enjoy!

The air shattered as she heard the crack from the other end. A light thump was heard through the receiver, and Nicole felt her heart drop.

 _‘Don’t let it be Waverly. Please. Please don’t let it be Waverly,'_ she repeated to herself inside her head. There was silence for a perhaps a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime to the newly deputized agent. She wanted to get out of the car. She wanted to enter guns blazing. Those were her team members in there. She wanted to protect them. She wanted to protect her girlfriend.

“I can’t kill the heir, but the rest of you are expandable.” It was the mysterious man who had shown up. He was the one who shot somebody.

 _‘Who was it? Who did he shoot? Why isn’t anybody saying anything?’_ Nicole felt her heartbeat increase as the racing thoughts circled her mind, “Agent Lucado, the contracts.”

Nicole heard footsteps from the other end. Breathing deeply into her diaphragm, the redhead tried her hardest to calm herself down. She couldn’t panic. She didn’t know who had actually been shot. It wasn’t logical for her to worry right now; she had to focus. Suddenly, the training she received in police academy came in handy. Inhale for 5-4-3-2-1. Exhale slowly.

“Hey,” the man spoke again. Nicole shut her eyes in hopes of listening more intently.

“You want us to sign in blood?” Wynonna finally spoke.

Her voice was strong, and there was no stutter. Nicole could hear the hint of disgust and confusion come through the receiver, and some of her anxiety dissipated. Although she had not spent much time with the Earp heir, she prided herself on basic listening skills. Wynonna didn’t sound like someone who had just lost her younger sister… but then again, Wynonna had also just lost her older sister less than 24 hours ago.

Not to mention Dolls.

“That’s how it’s done. How it’s always been done.” The mysterious man declared.

Nicole’s heart rate began to increase once more. Her eyes opened and she stared at the receiver. She didn't feel certain about her listening skills anymore. Why hadn’t Waverly said anything yet? She needed to hear her voice. She had to be sure her girlfriend was still alive. Should she have ran in already? Why was she still sitting in the car?!

“Who are you people? Really?” Nicole’s hand raised to her mouth. She held back her sob of delight.

_‘She’s alive. She’s okay. Waves is fine. She’s not dead.’_

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when she heard Waverly gasp. What happened? How were they signing by blood? Did they hurt her?

“Does it matter?” The mysterious man was now dubbed ‘Asshole.’ Nicole wanted to punch him. How dare he hurt her friends? How dare he hurt Waverly?!

“Don't talk to him anymore.”

Wynonna. She sounded protective. ‘ _Good,_ ’ Nicole thought to herself. Despite all that had happened today, the Earp heir was still functional. She was still Waverly’s older sister.

“Oh, Cheer up Wynonna, I’ll sweeten the plot for you.”

A frown appeared on Agent Haught’s forehead. What was the Asshole doing now?

“You play ball, I’ll help you break the Earp curse.”

Of course. The curse. Nicole stared intensely at the receiver. She wondered if Wynonna knew how to respond in this situation. Would she lie? Do what she could to get them to safety? Not for the first time that night, Nicole wished she had entered the building alongside Waverly.

‘ _C’mon, Wynonna, you got this,_ ’ Nicole cheered her on. The fear that had hit her earlier hadn't fully dissipated yet. She wouldn't be happy until she knew that Waverly, Wynonna, and Doc were all safe and sound.

“Bobo Del Rey has been dispatched, and his revenants are all scattered. You will never find them and kill them all, not in your lifetime.” The Asshole was not only an asshole, but he was also a judgmental asshole.

Silence.

Nicole suddenly thought back to the old file she found about what had happened all those years ago. How Wynonna had accidentally shot her dad. How nobody believed the truth about what had happened. How they made her take a bunch of antipsychotics and antidepressants. How they broke her. Waverly had given her a quick recap earlier, but that was her perspective and not Wynonna’s. Nicole wondered what was going through Wynonna’s mind. Did she find this offer appealing? Or…

“I’m being generous, you deal with a dozen or so demonic horrors that got into the triangle when your sister opened the border and we help you find a way. Lift your family’s burden for good.”

It sounded too good to be true.

“Now get them out of my house.”

Nicole sat up straighter, physically and mentally preparing herself for whatever was next. There was movement from the other end, and then --

“Ah, one more thing. Is there anyone else who knows about this mission? About Black Badge’s assignment in Purgatory?”

She froze. There was her. Agent Haught. She was right here. She could walk right in. Join the mission. Make this all official. Her and Waves could be a team and Nicole would no longer have to worry about her girlfriend every time she and Wynonna went out secretively and --

“Of course not.”

‘ _Wait, what?_ ’ Nicole stared down at the receiver again. Did she hear that right?

“I swear on my mother’s grave.”

‘ _No. Waverly, why?_ ’

She couldn't understand. Why wouldn't they acknowledge her? Wouldn't it make things easier, since she was already a member of the law enforcement?

“Seriously, how stupid do you think we are?”

Wynonna.

The confusion, rejection, and hurt all hit her hard. Nicole suddenly couldn't breathe. She dropped the receiver and reached for her keys.

_‘I guess I was wrong. I’m not needed.’_

Her heart pounded loudly in her head. As she drove away from the warehouse, Nicole acknowledged that she probably should have stayed there. It was a long walk back to homestead, and heaven knows Wynonna hadn't slept for hours. Nicole forced herself to not think about what Waverly had said. She didn’t know how to feel.

‘ _Getaway vehicle. Of course. Even when I was included, I wasn't included. Not really.’_

Her thoughts continued to spiral. She resisted the urge to drive straight home. Although just hours ago, she would have given anything to see Waverly alive and well, Nicole wasn't sure she was ready to talk to her girlfriend just yet.

After what seemed like forever, she pulled up to the Earp home. Turning her engine off, Nicole leaned back and laid her head on the headrest. Her hands regained feeling as her blood circulation returned. She hadn't realized how tightly she had grasped onto the steering wheel.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. By the time Wynonna, Waverly, and Doc had returned, the anger that Nicole had felt earlier had now been processed and transformed into hurt.

She gave a nod to Wynonna and Doc, shoving away the guilt that arose when she noticed the bags under Wynonna’s eyes. The Earp heir looked exhausted.

‘ _There's nothing you can do to change it now. You drove off. They walked back. We can only move forward.’_

Speaking of moving forward. Nicole stood up from where she had been leaning up against her cruiser. Waverly walked up to her and despite her anger and hurt, Nicole was still glad to see her.

“Hey,” she said quietly, her eyes tracing the shape of Waverly’s face, taking in everything, yet nothing, all at once. Her heart was pounding again.

“Hey back,” Waves responded. She looked exhausted as well. She still had those ridiculous red glasses on. Nicole resisted the urge to take them off. The Waverly that stood in front of her didn't feel like her Waverly, for some reason. Nevertheless, Agent Haught -- no, Officer Haught, didn't want to jump to conclusions right away. Despite how upset she was, she wanted to give her girlfriend the benefit of the doubt.

“Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they? I heard about the blood for the contract and --”

“It, I, no --” Waverly seemed at a loss for words. A silence fell between them, and off in the distance, Nicole could see Wynonna and Doc talking to one another near the front door.

Nicole pulled her attention back to her girlfriend. The beautiful woman stood only a few feet away, but it was as though there was a canyon between them.

“I’m sorry I left.”

She apologized first. The apology was truthful. She was sorry that she left. She just so happened to also be hurt about what had occurred.

“No, no, you had to,” Waverly responded, making eye contact with Nicole for the briefest second before the Officer looked away, blinking her eyes rapidly.

‘ _Don't cry. Don't cry. She doesn’t know that you're upset. Give her a chance to explain._ ’

“I wanted you to,” Waverly continued, and Nicole did a double take, “of course, I didn't have a choice, right? He would've killed you.”

“Or made it official.” Nicole looked back up at her girlfriend. “Sign me up too?”

‘ _C’mon Waves, understand where I'm coming from.’_

“In your own blood…?” The youngest Earp raised her tone in confusion, and Nicole knew immediately that they weren't going to get anywhere.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. After the stupid unicorn conversation, she never thought her and Waverly could have another conversation that was so off track but...

“Look, I better get back to the station.” Nicole paused, trying to think of an excuse as to why she had to leave, “I still got… so much paperwork to do.”

‘ _The life of an ordinary officer. Little old me. Officer Nicole Haught. Not an Agent, even though Dolls had deputized me.’_

Nicole looked back up at Waverly for a moment, before she glanced away and sighed lightly.

“Yeah,” Waverly stuttered, looking away towards the house, “I best check on Wynonna.”

Nicole followed Waverly’s glance towards the homestead, and it was as though that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. A wave of sadness washed over her. She felt unheard. Unseen.

‘ _Why, Waves? Why can’t you see where I’m coming from?’_

The youngest Earp stepped forward to give her a kiss goodbye, but Nicole turned towards the left and received a kiss on her cheek instead. She couldn't look at Waves. The tears were beginning to creep up.

Waverly paused, staring up at Nicole for a few seconds awkwardly before she turned and began walking towards the homestead. Nicole watched as her girlfriend walked away, and her gaze dropped dejectedly towards the ground.

She sighed once more, letting out the stifled scream within. Turning towards the cruiser, Nicole began to prepare herself for the long day ahead at work.

All the while, her heart pounded loudly in her head.

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me as I watched the episode. It's now 5 in the morning and I still have forty pages of reading to complete, plus notes to write, and exams to prep for... but I had to. Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
